Thanks to the wonderful owner of these brands, I have been sent three awesome nappies to try. They came to us at a perfect time as Charlotte has started to become a really big heavy wetter and our usual nappies just weren't doing the trick.

As you will know from my previous blogs Charlotte has severe eczema and cannot use disposable nappies as they irritate her skin. But where do you go when the nappies you have don't last an hour and your baby isn't ready for potty training? You shop for Bamberoos, Wonderoos or Real Easy.

Want to know why? Read more below:

Real Easy are sized nappies. They are available in Small, XS, Medium, Large & XL. The nappies are a really generous size and Charlotte at 20 months is still in a medium, however she is dainty. The Real Easy website gives a great description about the sizes but generally you will only need small & medium.

So what is the nappy made of?

"The Real Easy nappy is constructed with a soft fleece lining to keep baby feeling comfy and dry, behind this is a sewn in microterry soaker pad (2 layers) to quickly soak up wetness and wick it away from baby. Behind this layer is an absorbent pad made from 3 layers of thirsty, trim organic cotton/hemp fabric."

This is a great nappy as its very thin on the bum but has amazing absorbency. You can even add extra boosters but this nappy really doesn't need it. I add an extra bamboo insert for nightime use and Charlotte's skin is always bone dry by morning. I love how the material hugs her skin comfortably and its so soft next to her skin.

Its easy to wash and dry too. I put it in my normal 60 degree wash with my other nappies and straight in the dryer. Comes out like new after each wash and amazingly seems to get more absorbent with each wash.

As well as great materials, easy washing and being hugably soft, there is also stunning prints on offer. My favourite is the Dinosaur print but I think thats because Charlotte roars every time she sees it :).

Like the look of this nappy? Want to Win one? See competition below for a chance to win a size small with a stunning print.

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Wonderoos are a one size nappy, this means they should fit from birth to potty training. Obviously if you have a very small newborn or a very chunky toddler you may need an alternative nappy like the easy fit XS or XL. However it is a very generous size so I should imagine it will fit the majority as it is intended.

Again this nappy is really easy to fit with a popper system and is lovely and soft inside. It is also very easy to wash and can be put in the dryer. This is another go to nappy for me. I always use it for bed or it we are going to be out of the house for a few hours.

This nappy is different inside to the Easy fit as it has two separate inserts which are included in your nappy packet. The great thing is they pop together really simply with poppers on the insert. You will notice there is a blue popper and pink popper, these are designed so that the insert is in the right place depending on the gender of your child, blue for boys and pink for girls. The blue one being slightly higher to prevent leaks.

So what are these inserts made from?

In your packet you will find a shaped microfibre insert which is intended for newborn babies and a a trifold bamboo insert, which is for older babies. I personally snap them both together as I find this is the most effective for Charlotte. Once popped together they just slide into the pocket and your ready to go.

Again you have a great selection of prints and solid colours to choose from. I love the way this nappy sits around Charlotte's legs. Again its so comfortable and hugably soft.

Bamberoos are a one sized fitted nappy. These nappies are perfect for night time use as they are extremely absorbent. Unlike the other two nappies you will need to purchase a wrap to go over this nappy, as although it is extremely absorbent it doesn't include a waterproof layer needed to prevent leaks.

This may not be the prettiest nappy but it has amazing absorbency and the great thing is there is so much choice for wraps out there. I was sent a THiRSTiES Duo Wrap to try with this nappy which I have to say has took some time getting used to.

In the beginning, I could never fit it right and would always end up with gaps and find leaks, however after alot of practice I learnt that I need to line the wrap with with the Bamberoo, pulling it to ensure it would cover her legs before fastened and then I need to adjust the waist. Still it is not my favourite wrap in design or print but it does the job.

I also have little lamb wraps which are cheap and lacking in quality however with Velcro fastening they are slightly easier to fit and again do the job. The great thing about wraps is you can give them a wipe over and use them the following night and so don't need to be washed as much. Personally, I wash them nightly as with Charlotte weeing so much, I find there is a slight smell. Also gives me a great excuse to look at more wraps :). If anyone has any suggestions for wraps after reading this blog, I would love to hear about them.

So what are they made from?

"Bamberoos are made from gentle, soft bamboo fabric, with a layer of microfibre in the core, and come supplied with 2 loose inserts - 1 bamboo and 1 microfibre. "

I also add an additional bamboo insert behind the microfibre and bamboo insert that is provided with the nappy as I feel it gives extra security for Charlotte sleeping a full night with a dry bottom.

The only downside of me about this nappy is that she ends up with marks around her legs. This happens no matter how I adjust it. Charlotte does have sensitive skin, so that maybe the reason but don't let that put you off as this is the ultimate heavy wetters nappy.

My favourite thing about this nappy is its soft when you first get it and remains soft each time you wash it. Also like the others it washes at 60 and straight in the dryer. No meshing, easy peasy :).

In conclusion:
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Easy to fit,

Great prints,

hugably soft,

Easy to wash and dry,

Great for nightime use,

generous size.

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Easy to fit,

Great selection of prints and solid colours

hugably soft,

Easy to wash and dry,

Great for nightime use,

One size.​

Easy to fit,

hugably soft,

Great for nightime use,

One size,

Dislike the marks but impressed with absorbency.

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Now here's your chance to win a Small Real Easy nappy. A small fits babies from 7-18lbs which is great for any new or expecting parents to start their collection.

Disclosure - These nappies were sent to me free of charge however all opinions are my own. This blog has been written by me in my own words. Any information that is in speech marks is taken directly from the websites, I have linked throughout this blog.

#ImaginationMatters theme this week is #Shopping and we went on a lovely family outing to Eureka. According to its website 'Eureka is a fun, interactive children’s museum and educational charity based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, where children play to learn and grown-ups learn to play.' and I completely agree.

Eureka is a fascinating place to visit and fun for the whole family, no matter your age.

With this weeks theme in mind, it was perfect timing to visit Eureka as it has its own pretend supermarket which Charlotte loved. They have shopping trolleys, baskets, food, money, tills, scanners ect. Its a pretend paradise and Charlotte had a wonderful time filling the baskets and rolling the trolleys about.

For older children its very educational too, it has a scanning section attached to a television screen. When you scan an item and a video plays which tells you all about it and where it comes from. There is also a food guessing game, where you can put your hand in and guess the food item and then look to check if you were right. Obviously these activities were too young for Charlotte but us Adults had fun. We all felt like kids in a sweet shop :).

This whole section is divided up to look exactly like a supermarket and it was lovely to see everyone having so much fun, including Ricky playing on the tills haha. We know exactly what to buy Charlotte for Christmas and after searching Amazon we have found a much smaller version which we know she will love, especially the shopping trolley but shhh don't tell her what Santa is bringing.

Toy Story Romper by Beau Bespoke

As you know, I don't usually talk about fashion on my blog but as we have had so many compliments about Charlotte's gorgeous Romper, I had to take this opportunity to show it off. It was custom created by Beau Bespoke, who lovingly creates these amazing works of art and many other fabulous items of clothing from home. For more information, take a look at her facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Beaubespoke, where you will find other creations and can contact her to place an order.

Now back to Eureka, take a look through the pictures below to see what we got up to during the rest of our visit. I was extremely impressed by the facilities and it was lovely to see such a nice feeding room. Since having Charlotte I have noticed how many places do not cater for a breastfeeding mum and it was lovely to see a nice room with comfy seating that isn't in a disabled toilet. Also the train station is right next door making it a perfect place for a family outing.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures this week. Come back next week for more Imagination Matters. Next weeks theme is 'Emergency Services'.

We started by colouring in a passport that mummy edited and printed from the internet. These are ideal for getting children to write. If they are old enough, they can fill in the details themselves.

As Charlotte is only 16 months, I gave her some crayons, sat her in the high chair, popped BabyTv on the TV and just left her to make marks. She spent a good hour occupied and I was so impressed watching her hold the crayon. She has shown a clear preference for using her right hand and adjusts the crayon herself to make it comfortable in hand.

She had such fun and hasn't stopped colouring since. She now goes and get the crayons herself and lets us know she wants to sit in her high chair :) its so cute to watch.

Even at this age, its a great activity as although she is to young to be a successful writer, it is good for her development to understand that she is making marks. This early stage of writing is called emergent writing and even though them lines and scribbles don't mean much to us, they are the beginning stages of learning to write and understand that marks and letters have meaning. Mark making is a huge developmental milestone.

I have included the files if you want to download a blank passport and have a go at home.

Blow up the balloon and tie a knot in the top to secure it. Use the paint brush to apply the glue and water mixture and coat in the ripped up newspaper. Cover the balloon one layer at a time, allowing each layer to go dry before applying the next. You will need around 3 to 4 layers of newspaper to make it hard enough for the next step.

Once covered, leaving only a small area at the knot end visible, you can pop the balloon.

Once popped, you will have a gap at the top of your Paper-Mache Globe. You will need to soak strips of newspaper in the glue mixture and spread them at different angles until the gap is covered. Again you will need to apply 3 to 4 layers gradually.

Once the gap is sealed and the Paper-Mache is dry and hard, you then need to cover the full globe in one or two layers of kitchen or toilet roll. This layer makes it easier to paint once the layer is dry as it gives you a blank canvas to apply the paint onto.

Please note, this is an extremely messy activity, it is lots of fun but for little ones you may want to strip them. As Charlotte wears cloth nappies and I didn't want to ruin any with the glue, she was completely stripped and this is the reason why there are no pictures of her doing the Paper-Mache.

Generally, PVA glue is water based and usually does come out of clothes but I would make sure they wear some old clothes just in case. Charlotte was covered from head to toe in glue and newpaper after about 5 seconds of doing this. She had lots of fun but lost interest after about 5 minutes. Therefore mummy completed the globe while Charlotte had a splash in the sink with Daddy to get clean.

At the moment, the Globe is in a newspaper state, which is why there is only one picture but keep your eyes pealed as I will update this post with more pictures as we complete each stage. Its definitely a worth while activity as even for 5 minutes, Charlotte was exposed to new experiences and textures and had lots of fun getting messy. Paper-Mache is great if you have the time and patience and you can make so many things.

I hope you enjoyed reading, please come back to see more pictures of our Globe and stop by next week for more Imagination Matters. Next weeks theme is 'Shopping' and we have a lovely outing planned :).

Apologies for the delay in posting this week, with the hot weather and a fussy Charlotte, I have been either too busy to get on my laptop or when I could, I have been too exhausted to write anything.

Anywho....

When we finally got around to doing this week’s Imagination Matters, this is what we got up to...

This weeks #ImaginationMatters theme is #InTheGarden and we have been planting. I know its late in the season for growing vegetables but who cares, we had a ball. Charlotte had so much fun playing with the equipment, messing with the dirt and splashing in the water, whilst watering the newly planted seeds. We planted leeks, carrots, strawberries, cauliflower and broccoli.

If they grow, which we hope they will, we will enjoy eating them but if not, it was worth every penny and such a great activity to do with children. To be honest, Charlotte would have been happy with just the soil and the equipment, as she didn't really understand what we were doing but I always like doing activities with a purpose. When we look back on this post, I can show her that we planted vegetables, even if they don't work out :).

You will need:

Children's gardening tools (just a trowel & watering can will do)
Packet of seeds
Suitable pots - large enough for the seeds to grow
Soil

Breastfeeding has been a tough journey for Charlotte and I. Most of the difficulty has stemmed from her Rhesus Incompatibility. If you would like to read about Charlotte's condition or read about Rhesus Incompatibility, read my earlier blog post What is Rhesus Incompatibility?When I was pregnant Breastfeeding just wasn't a big deal, I mean I wanted to give it a go but I bought all the equipment needed if I changed my mind or if it just didn't work for me. The plan was to not put any pressure on myself and see how it went. I even took mini bottles of cow and gate in my hospital bag, just in case, as I wasn't going to allow anyone to tell me what or how to feed my baby. I knew having my own formula would stop the interfering midwives I had heard about.

When Charlotte was born, she latched like a dream. It seemed like we were both a natural, however after she just slept. Anyone would think I had a perfect baby but in reality it was the jaundice that was making her so sleepy.

Hours after her first feed, when other babies on the ward were screaming with hunger, Charlotte just slept and looked so blissful. At the time I didn't want to disturb her, you know that saying 'never disturb a sleeping baby'. When you give birth to your child its an overwhelming, indescribable sense of love. You just want to hold and stare and kiss them all over. The fact that you carried this most perfect creature inside you, created them and gave birth to them seems unbelievable and dreamlike. I just kept thinking how can someone this perfect be my baby.

After a while it didn't seem right that she hadn't woken for a feed, especially after some babies were now on their third or fourth feed. As soon as I saw her move, desperate to hold her again, I scooped her up and tried to get her to latch but she just wouldn't wake. So after a long cuddle, I put her down accepting that birth must have been exhausting for her and hoped that she would eventually wake through the night or tomorrow with avengeance. So I decided to get some sleep while I could.

Eventually she did stir through the night but she just woke with a little cry, she just didn't have the energy to give anything else. I picked her up but she just drifted back off, she just wouldn't wake to feed and when she did, she just couldn't latch before falling back to sleep again.

Early the next day, things hadn't improved and after many blood tests, the nurse explained that Charlotte's bilirubin levels were rising and the doctors decided she needed phototherapy. The nurse moved us into a side ward so she could start treatment. Soon after my mum popped in, while she was dropping Daddy off to see us, she explained how important it was to get Charlotte to feed. Luckily, my Mum is a neonatal sister and is used to babies with Charlotte's condition and having difficulty feeding. She explained how Charlotte needed to feed to excrete the bilirubin out of her system. She told me that without this, she would eventually be moved to the Special Care Unit and would need IV fluids while she was under the light.

The thought of having her taken away from me was terrifying. I needed her to be with me and I couldn't cope with the thought of us being apart. I realised, that Charlotte wasn't just sleepy, she was unresponsive and her little body was using all its energy to fight. I had no choice, I had to introduce formula. It was so disheartening that I had to introduce it so early. After Charlotte's first feed, I knew how amazing being able to feed her was. I was doing something that noone else could do for her. My body was making liquid gold that was produced just for her. I had no intention of giving that up but I had to try the formula. I would rather my baby get better quickly than risk us being parted and allowing her to get worse.

Without hesitation and with tears rolling down my face, I popped a teat on a cow and gate bottle and tried to get her to take it but even that didn't work. She couldn't suck and just slept. We tried everything; stripping her down, water on her face, bare bum, tickling her feet and cheeks, rubbing the teat on her lips - NOTHING WORKED! I remember begging the midwife to help. In 24 hours she had 10mls (1/3 of an ounce) of milk. She just wouldn't wake to be fed and I didn't know what to do. The midwives response was so upsetting "at least she's had something". Even as a new mum I knew this wasn't right, how could it be. My child wasn't feeding. How could the midwife think this was okay considering her bilirubin levels. ﻿

That evening, my Mum came to see us again during visiting hours, she gave me all kinds of suggestions to try and wake her, which didn't work. I was so upset, I handed Charlotte to my mum and asked her to try. Even with all her years of experience, she couldn't get her to feed. She asked the midwives for a feeding cup and shown me how to cup feed. She also asked for a Breastpump which was brought into my room. My mum gave me the advice the midwives should of, saying that I should pump every time she won't feed and that way I will have the milk available for her as she gets better. She told me that if Charlotte didn't feed and I didn't pump, I would eventually loose my milk and I needed one or the other to establish my milk supply.

Charlotte's first cup feed

I was very lucky to be able to keep the pump in my room, using the Medela Symphony and requesting a second pumping kit from the midwives allowed me to double pump. Due to Charlotte's lack of feeding, I started using the pump after only 24 hours.

The next day when the Midwife came in to check on us, she asked how I was using the pump. I told her I was expressing to start my milk flow before I offered Charlotte a feed and I was expressing after she finished. She told me not to do that as my breasts would get over engorged and my body would think it was feeding twins. Thinking back I don't know how, as Charlotte wasn't feeding well and the only thing establishing my milk was the pump.

Listening to the midwife, I started to express for a short time only. looking back now, I'm sorry I did as I could of established a good supply pumping alot more. Especially with Charlotte's lack of feeding as even when she was offered the breast she would only latch for a short period of time if at all. I expressed for 10 minutes before and after a each feed, offering Charlotte the breast in between. I would then feed her whatever milk I had expressed and top her up with formula, giving her 60mls in total which is what my mum calculated a baby of Charlotte's age and size needed. I had to literally force feed her as she was so exhausted and couldn't suck. Force feeding with the cup was the only way to get her to take the milk and I was determined to get her healthy as I knew to well what would happen if she didn't.

I set alarms every two hours to feed her as she didn't wake by herself. The more she fed the easier it became to arouse her as her bilirubin levels started to drop, with the help of the light and the milk, it gave her the energy she needed to stay awake for a little while.

After feeding it was really important to get Charlotte back under the light but she hated being put down, she wanted comfort from Mummy and I wanted to comfort her. It killed me to watch her cry and quickly exhaust herself. She was desperate for contact and so was we. Poor Daddy couldn't even get close to her as it was more important for her to be under the light. Daddy would hold her hand to soothe her which helped but when Daddy had to go home and I had to express, she needed something else. We decided to give her a dummy to calm her when she was under the light. I knew it wasn't recommended for Breastfeeding but Charlotte came first.

After 3 days under phototherapy, I was finally able to take my gorgeous daughter off the light and for the first time get her dressed. When I gave birth, my Mum dressed Charlotte while I took a shower and with the phototherapy starting the day after she was born, I only got the opportunity to undress her.

Getting her dressed, I got so emotional, being told that I could finally hold my gorgeous girl for as long as I wanted, it seemed so sereal. It felt so precious to finally hold her properly and not be worried about the time she had been out of the light. She was mine and I could hold her tiny body close, smell and touch her and finally enjoy it. Sadly, it was late at night when I got this wonderful news and visiting hours had ended for Daddy. So after she was dressed we facetimed him, so he could share in this precious moment. I balled my eyes out holding her and telling him about it.

Knitted breast courtesy of Google

On day two, my milk came in and hit me like a ton of bricks. My breasts were so sore and tender. The only thing that helped was a warm shower to ease the discomfort and pressure.

Still struggling to get Charlotte to feed, we had a visit from the Breastfeeding co'ordinator who was next to useless. She carried a knitted breast around with her, which made me feel about 10 years old, as I found it highly amusing and couldn't take her seriously.

She wanted to see Charlotte feed so she could advise me or tell me where I was going wrong as she put it. She hadn't even see me feed my baby yet and was already assuming I was doing something wrong. Seeing her asleep she offered to come back later. I told her about Charlotte's condition and that I needed to wake her anyway as she was due a feed. At this point I could already feel her eyes judging me and Charlotte's dummy being eye balled but she said nothing and continued anyway.

She was obsessed with the rugby hold position and pushed Charlotte so far under my arm, we both needed a ridiculous amount of pillows to support us. Charlotte was screaming as she hated the position and it was uncomfortable for me too. It was so frustrating as the first bit of energy she had was being wasted doing this. We could never continue this at home either, as without the support of the electric hospital bed, I would never have enough pillows even if we borrowed the neighbours. Charlotte then stopped screaming and went straight to sleep and I had missed the important opportunity to feed her. The co'ordinator told me to put her down and wait until she woke again, as feeding should apparently be at her demand. I told her that we did not have that luxury as Charlotte did not demand to be fed and hardly cried due to being so tired.

She clearly had no idea what I was talking about and kept insisting on demand feeding. Realising I wasn't going to listen to her and that I was already reaching for a bottle and pump, she tried talking me into hand expressing. She showed me the area to apply pressure to get my milk to flow and as soon as she saw a drip she left.

Trying to make an effort, I continued to try to hand express but with little to nothing coming off and concious that I was wasting precious time when Charlotte needed to feed, I jumped on the pump and continued my usual routine.

I hated the visiting hours, I felt so alone being without Ricky. I wanted to be able to talk things through with him and him to share some of the responsibilities. Having a baby is so exhausting and usually you are at home within 24 hours to have support and much needed rest but being in hospital you never rest. If you don't have to feed or change the baby, just as you are dozing off, someone will walk into the room to check on something. I think its such a stupid system that you can't have your partner with you.

After 4 days in hospital and alot of arguments with Doctors and Nurses to get information, our little princess and I were discharged to go home. We were given folic acid to help Charlotte's blood condition which she had to take each morning. We were still struggling with feeding but we had our alarms set, feeding cup in hand and was filled with pride at being able to take our gorgeous girl home. We finally got our bounty pictures taken too, while Charlotte was under the light they kept saying 'I'll come back' which was so upsetting as I felt we were loosing precious time to caption them memories of her being this small. Needless to say we bought all of the precious photos, thanks to my mum.

Family Bounty Portait

When we got home, we continued with the strict feeding schedule, setting alarms to wake our baby and making sure she was fed. Since the phototherapy had stopped, I didn't have to restrict her breastfeeding as much and started to allow her to feed as she wanted, when she wanted and for how long she wanted. I just topped her up afterwards with formula to make sure she was feeding well and waking regularly.

The next day, she was even put in her pram in natural sunlight as we were told that would help keep her levels stay reduced. We wanted to take any opportunity to keep her at home and well.

Later that morning, the midwife came to see how we were doing. Straight away the finger was pointed at me, as Charlotte hadn't regained her birth weight and even though she hadn't lost any weight, except for the initial loss that most babies loose after birth but she still wasn't happy and said that Charlotte should have gained alot more. It was so annoying that she didn't seem to take what she had been through into account. I was quizzed about how I fed her and how I needed to make sure one breast is empty before I switched her to the next, even though I had already told her that was what I was already doing, when she asked how we were getting on.

She decided that due to her colour, she wanted to take a blood sample to have her bilirubin levels checked. She eventually left, leaving me to feel like the worst mother ever and even more concerned about Charlotte. After giving Charlotte a feed and putting her in the sun again under Daddy's watchful eye. Ricky ran me a bath and told me that I needed to relax as I was no good to Charlotte being this distressed.

Begrudging leaving Charlotte, I eventually agreed to have a little soak in the bath. The next thing I remember was waking up to find Ricky coming through the bathroom door with Charlotte in one hand and phone in the other. He said that the midwife needed to speak to me about Charlotte's levels. I was so exhausted I had fell asleep in the bath but I was definitely awake now.

Speaking to the midwife, she explained that Charlotte's bilirubin levels had spiked and she was now hitting exchange levels which were extremely dangerous and Charlotte needed to return to hospital where a bed would be waiting for her. Hysterically crying down the phone, I agreed to get Charlotte ready and pack a bag. They told us not to rush in as it would take a little time to organise the bed. With tears rolling down my face I took my little princess in my arms and took her to have her first bath. Feeling like we had already lost to much time, I was determined her first bath would be at home.

The next moment the phone rang again, Ricky answered and was told that there wasn't a bed available at North Manchester and we would have to go to Oldham Hospital instead. I was hysterical again. I had a bad experience as a teenager at Oldham and I was terrified of my little girl going there. I started panicking that she would never come home. It might sound daft thinking this way but at the time, I couldn't get my experience out of my head and my precious little baby couldn't go there.

After getting back on the phone, it was arranged that we could in fact go to North Manchester. We were lucky that a bed had just become available and it was now waiting for us. With this news, I was finally able to calm down and hold my little girl again. I gave her a bath, wrapped her in a towel and held her close for a feed. I just stared at my poorly helpless baby and couldn't hold back the tears. The moments that should have been so precious and we should of been enjoying, were taken over with fear and worry.

When we got to the hospital, Charlotte's levels were checked again and they weren't as bad as they initially thought however she still needed phototheraphy. On the children's ward, Charlotte was stripped down, placed in an incubator and had an overhead light and a biliblanket (a light pad that sat underneath her). It was awful seeing her in an incubator but it was the best place for her as it kept her warm while she was having the therapy. It's only going through this that you realise how much energy your body uses to do every little task, even keeping herself warm would of taken energy that she needed to defend herself.

As it was so important for Charlotte to be under the light, I became even stricter with her feeding schedule. I wrote down every feed; when she had it, how long it took and noted nappy changes, as I knew it would all benefit her recovery. I knew the quicker I could feed her, the quicker she could go back under the light and hopefully eventually come home.

I found myself trying to breastfeed her less and express more. I would always give her the expressed milk first and then switch to the formula when it was gone. I still couldn't produce enough expressed breast milk to solely feed her myself. I continued to go on the pump before and after but sadly, I wasn't as lucky as I was on post-natal ward as the only pump available was a Medela Lactina pump which was old and wasn't powerful enough to pump both breasts, which meant it took even longer to express. It was so upsetting that I still had to give Charlotte formula as I hoped I would be producing enough for her by now but I had to do what was best for her. With every drop of formula that I gave her, I felt myself getting more distressed that it wasn't my milk. I so badly just wanted to put her to my breast and just feed her "normally", exclusively. I envied any mother that could. I loved holding and feeding her but I knew the bottle top ups were the best thing for her.

The next day Charlotte was taken off phototherapy and we were allowed to get her dressed and have cuddles again.

Daddy enjoying a cuddle after a feed, while mummy expresses.

We were finally able to enjoy breastfeeding again. Although I still topped her up, I was able to go back to letting her feed like she wanted. Not that she fed for long as she was still very sleepy but it was nice to be able to enjoy it for a little longer. I just let her feed until she had enough and then topped her up with a bottle feed, using whatever breastmik was available and using formula afterwards. I continued to make the most of the pump and take off any remaining milk from my breasts after each feed to help with my supply.

On 5th March, my birthday, at 8pm, we were told we could finally go home. After being in hospital 3 days and 24 hours of phototherapy, Charlotte's levels were once again stable enough for us to go home. It was the best birthday present I could ask for. I still felt concerned that we would have to return but I was so relieved we could finally sleep in our own beds and I would be able to have Ricky helping me.

When we got home, feeding continued to be difficult. It didn't help with the back and forth visits to the hospital, most of which were orchestrated by the midwife's. They were obsessed with her slow weight gain and skin colour. Even the hospital got annoyed and wrote them a letter asking them to back off. They clearly didn't understand Charlotte's condition or that it would take a long time for things to normalise. They were obsessed at pointing the finger and blaming me for why things were continuing. My poor little baby went through more blood tests than necessary to appease the midwife's.

After a few weeks, my nipples became so sensitive and sore and I noticed white dots appearing on Charlotte tongue. That morning when the midwife visited she confirmed we both had thrush and she advised that me to contact the doctors and arrange a prescription to be left. The doctors were useless and after a few wrongly prescribed things we finally got what we needed.

After a few days of using the gel, I still seemed to be in a lot of pain and noticed red, hard and sore lumps appearing on my breast. Charlotte's tongue was so sensitive from the oral thrush her feeding had become even more erratic than usual and because of this I developed Mastitis. It was so painful and I felt so poorly. I expressed as much as I could trying to empty my breast each time. I applied warm flannels to my breast and took regular showers applying the warm shower head directly to my breasts which massively helped ease the discomfort. I also got Charlotte to feed from me after expressing allowing her to drain every last bit of milk and ease the tenderness. Within 2 days, I was doing so much better and thankfully I didn't need antibiotics. I applied the gel religiously to my nipples after feeds and showers and give Charlotte the medication as prescribed and soon everything cleared up and we were back to normal.

Thankfully the Jaundice had resolved itself by now, however as the antibodies were still attacking her blood cells, she developed anaemia and although Charlotte was finally breastfeeding longer, she still was falling asleep at the breast and struggling to feed. I was still topping her up but she was struggling with that too and if we pushed her too far she was sick. This was even more distressing as we knew how important it was for her to feed, particularly with the midwife's on our backs over her weight.

During the night, I breastfeed and then Ricky would take over to try and get her to take a bottle while I expressed. She was now able to suckle a bit better so the bottle was more comfortable then pouring milk down her throat, however if she didn't finish the bottle we had to cup feed the rest. It was so distressing, it felt like we were hurting her. She seems so uncomfortable feeding. When I breast fed her she would only stay latched if I was over engorged. Eventually, we were able to stop using the cup and relax a little bit but she started to refuse the bottle and was sick with most feeds.

Things started to get worse when she wouldn't breastfeed either and I starting to panic as she would be on and off the breast. She would feed for less than a minute, arching her back as she fed and then stop shrilling like she was in pain. She seemed to constantly have hiccups and make a funny sound at the back of her throat.

I begged the midwife's for help but got no where except for being told to make sure she was emptying one breast first and continue as I was going. I knew something wasn't right, so after searching the internet to try and find something that would help her, I came across colic which some of her symptoms seemed to match the description of.

Armed with information, I went to the GP and we were given all sorts of medication to try, Infacol, colic drops, you name it, none of it worked. The only thing that helped a little was colief. I also started to worry about my supply and I was concerned that I stopped feeling full. Obviously, the heavy feeling had gone away now that my milk was fully in but you still get a full feeling when you hadn't fed in a little while. I wasn't getting that anymore and all Charlotte would do when she went to feed was cry. She now wouldn't take anything else and it was scary as she needed to gain more weight quicker.

We decided to try a new milk cow and gate comfort milk, in the hope that it would settle things. I continued to breastfeed but when she struggle we would offer her new milk. I also went back to the doctors and was prescribed Domperidone and bought Fenugreek capsules to help with my diminishing supply.

After 2 weeks, when Charlotte was 3 months old, I noticed a massive difference and was finally able to pump alot more milk and started to feel full once again. Although the comfort milk seemed to help at first, things continued to get worse and Charlotte was now being sick alot more and once again started to refuse her milk.

After no help from any health care professional, I took to the internet again and found something called Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) the symptoms matched Charlotte perfectly. I instantly changed her milk to cow and gate reflux milk and noticed a massive difference. I will do another blog post at a later date to talk about reflux and our experience.

It all finally made sense, she had reflux all along. I contacted her consultant and she prescribed Charlotte Gaviscon and Ranitidine. Suddenly, everything started to get a little better, she still struggled but she was back to feeding again. She did however go back to refusing the formula but thankfully I was now producing enough breastmilk to exclusively feed her by breast and bottle. She was so much comfier on my milk than anything else but we couldn't get her to drink any more than 4ozs and even that was difficult. I continued to offer her the breast first and then the expressed bottle after but it was always a battle of wills fighting between the screams to take her milk and then cleaning up the projectile vomiting afterwards. It was so frustrating that none of it was easy for any of us. I used to sit there with my head in my hands crying as I didn't know what to do.

At 4 months, Charlotte went on a milk strike a refused to feed, when she did feed she would only feed from the breast and not for very long. I was at my whitsend and was getting no help from anyone. I contacted my health visitor who told me she would send a nursery nurse round to the house the next day to see how she was feeding. This seemed ridiculous as she knew I am a trained nursery nurse. What would this woman tell me that I didn't already know. I just felt fobbed off but accepted her only offer in sheer desperation.Two weeks later, I got a voicemail from the so called nursery nurse to find out if I still needed her. TWO WEEKS! what a joke, I didn't bother returning her call, I had struggled all this time with no help, what was the point in calling her back when she couldnt even be bothered to come round and see us as promised. The health visitor had heard my tears and desperate cries for help and this was the best they could do. What was the point? I would only be accused of doing something wrong anyway.We had a hospital appointment later that week and I was eager to speak to the consultant as Charlotte was increasingly being sick. At the appointment, the consultant told me to continue what I was doing and agreed to prescribe domperidone to help with the sickness.

This did improve things but at 5 1/2 months I had no choice but to try and wean her, I held on for that long but after days of refusal to feed. I had to do something. The consultant upped her donperidone and we started baby rice. We went slow and steady and food seemed to be more comfortable than than milk. I continued to breastfeed throughout the day on demand and offering expressed bottles to give her medication but the food was the only reason she continued to gain weight slowly. As we got further into weaning and her medication was increased again, feeding started to become more comfortable for her. We still had bad days but life was finally better.

Charlotte is now 15 months old and although we have had our ups and downs we are still breastfeeding. In the last month, I have reduced expressing and replaced the bottled milk with cows milk. She wouldn't take this at first so we mixed it with the breastmilk slowly increasing the amounts of cows milk and reducing the breastmilk which has worked wonders.

I am now expressing once a day for 20 minutes which keeps my supply available. Charlotte feeds in the morning, naptime and before bed but she is inconsistent. For the time being, I plan to continue expressing but keep reducing the time I express slowly and to eventually to about 10 minutes. This should keep enough milk for the occasional feeds but if and when Charlotte chooses that our journey is over, I will be sad to see it go but I will stop.

I love our feeds together and it is so lovely to be able to bring her comfort and have that special bonding time together but I know that even with our struggles I have done amazingly to get Charlotte to this point. My original plan was to get her to 6 months, as I thought I would loose my milk but when we got past that and 12 months was my next goal. If I could get her any further it would be a bonus. I am proud to be a breastfeeding mum and I know I am so lucky to be able to do it. I would love to have another baby and if I am lucky enough, I plan to breastfeed them too. The problem is now that it has become so important to me to be able to breastfeed that I will probably put so much pressure on myself but only time will tell what the future will hold.

For now, I am enjoying Charlotte, our wonderful bond and our occasional feeds. I have learnt so much from feeding her and hope that this blog can be a support for anyone struggling or doubting themselves. I hope it lets you know that you can do it too. It will be hard but its definitely worth it.

If any mum out there is experiencing any of the issues raised in this blog, please contact me. I would love to hear from you and be able to share any tips I have learnt or be an ear to listen. I felt so alone going through all of this and it has been awful, please don't feel alone. Remember you are a Superhero and a hero to your child whatever happens.

This week we have been set a challenge by@mamavsteacher to take part in the#ImaginationMattersLinky. Imagination Matters, offers opportunities to write posts about creative activities you've done as a family, around weekly themes. This weeks theme is At Sea. Charlotte and I, have been inspired to come up with lots of inventive things to do around this.

When I read abour#ImaginationMatters, I really wanted us to take part as I thought it would actively encourage us to do more things together. I mean of course we already paint, play in the garden, do water play etc, but some weeks we are more active than others. Admittedly, some weeks I am just plain lazy or too exhausted but I don't think a splash in the bath is always good enough. Charlotte needs more not only for her development but for keeping occupied and to keep me sane :).

Having lazy days or being tired is of course okay. We are all guilty of it, but being a stay at home mum, I want to give Charlotte a learning rich environment with opportunities to support her development and make sure I am spending quality time with her. Yes housework needs doing but Charlotte needs me to. What better way to encourage this and give us both experiences and make memories, than to do it through play. Imagination matters gives me a reason to get off my bum and spend time with my daughter.

As Charlotte is now 15 months old, she is able to understand alot more of what is going on and is curious about everything. She loves getting stuck in and getting dirty, so centring everything around the At Sea theme this week has been really interesting. Normally we do at least one activity each week but this week we have done something everyday which has been lovely. I've loved spending so much quality time with her and admiring all the lovely things we've made.

You don't realise as a parent, that even though you are with your child, you are not always spending quality time with them. Yes its important to encourage your child be independent but they need the quality time with you for social interaction - especially if they are an only child, speech development, motor skills, physical development and much more. Doing these activities I have already noticed how much more she's speaking or trying to, how her ability to hold a paint brush has improved and how much fun she's had.

So here's what we got up to...

After all the painting we did, Charlotte actually got fed up.

We made goldfish bowls, an Under the Sea painting & an Octopus mobile.

We made cheese biscuits and Charlotte ate lots of cheese. She had lots of fun making a mess and playing with the ingredients. It was a great activity but the house did look like a flour mill had exploded afterwards. Cleaning up was a bit chaotic but it was worth it.

Combine all the ingredients saving some egg yolk and cheese for the end.
Once mixture is combined, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30mins.
Once chilled, cut shapes, brush with remaining egg yolk and sprinkle with cheese (if you ave any left because you have a daughter who ate it all - note to self get a BIG bag of cheese next time)
Place in the oven for 12 mins until golden.
Leave to cool on a rack.

Once cool, eat them all up, their yummy.
(We used mature cheddar but use whatever you prefer).

We also went to Boomerang Multi-Sensory Play Centre, where we attend Pea Pods classes. We had a summer party and did lots of splashing in the water with the sea animals.http://www.boomerangcentre.co.uk/

We have been reviewing the Tots Bots Easyfit V4 Hey Diddle Diddle nappy for over two months now. We are very lucky to have been sent this nappy from Tots Bots and its a beautiful print. I love the detail in the design and how it tells the story of the nursery rhyme.

The nappy is Hook & Loop Fastening, which is basically a velcro waist and has poppers to adjust to fit the size of the child. It has bamboo, cotton and minky blend fabric interior and fits from 8lbs to 35lbs.

It has very soft fabric on the outside and has a good stretch to fit round the waist.

Here is a little video from Tots Bots about their V2 version. This nappy is slightly different in its fabric components but gives you a good idea about the layout of the nappy, as the V4 version is also an all in one nappy which means the boosters are all attached. the video also models the velcro and poppers.

As you open the nappy you can see how the booster is stuffed in the back pocket. If you pull this out you will notice an additional booster attached with poppers for extra absorbency. This can be removed and easily reattached if needed. Personally I leave it attached as I know Charlotte's bum will be dryer for longer.

Now onto my experience with this nappy. When it arrived it came very well packaged and beautifully laid out. You will see from the pictures below how the nappy is ready to put straight on the bum however for absorbency reasons I would suggest washing first. Tots bots recommend 40 degrees for wet and 60 degrees for soiled with non bio powder. For tips on storing and washing dirty nappies watch this Tots Bots video.

I wash at 60 with all my other nappies with fairy non bio. I would recommend sticking the sticky parts of the velcro together, as it does have a tendency to stick to anything it can. What I was impressed with is that you can dry the nappy in the dryer on low. This makes life so much easier. I do generally dry my nappies on a clothes airer but this nappy is better in the dryer as the boosters and inner part of the nappy can get very rough. I have noticed that even with drying the bamboo is still very rough and so I have started to leave the booster unstuffed, with minky side up next to Charlotte skin (this is the soft fluffy side).

For storing my dirty nappies, I have two buckets with mesh liners. This is a great system as when one bucket is full, I remove the mesh bag, place it straight into the washing machine, take the bucket straight to the bathroom soaking it in the bath with Cillit Bang foam and rinse it out 30 mins or so later. This prevents and removes any smells and while its drying the other bucket is ready to use.

Now this is my system and you don't actually need two buckets but this is what works for us and I know that Charlotte's room is smell free and also know that any bacteria has been killed. I would recommend that if you use my method, that you thoroughly rinse your bucket after using any detergent or cleaning agent as you don't want it to affect your nappies.

I have two different types of buckets one that came with my Baba & Boo Bundle and the other is a Tots Bots click lid that I bought from The Nappy Lady website. I must say I do prefer Tots Bots Nappy Bucket. The click lid means that Charlotte cannot open it and it also makes it easier bringing the bucket downstairs to the washing machine when it is full. I also use wet bags for when we are out of the house.

So back to the Nappy...

Pros

Easy to wash,

Can go in the dryer,

Easy to fit,

Extra booster keeps babies bums dryer for longer,

Can be worn right through to potty training,

Beautiful designs and prints that still look great after multiple washes,

Versitile as you can choose to stuff the nappy or leave the insert folded ontop.

Amazing nappy bucket that stops tiny hands from messing.

Cons

Minky material gets very rough after a few washes,

Naughty little hands can open the velcro.

The main issue I have found with the velcro nappy is that Charlotte can open it herself. This makes nappy changes very fun as she can open it quicker than I can put it on. Just a warning for anyone, CHANGE BUMS FAST. I don't think this will be a problem with the teenyfit as children will be much younger.

The nappy is very easy to fit, I fasten the velcro first and then adjust the poppers to fit Charlotte comfortably. You want the nappy comfortable yet secure with no gaps or gapes. The nappy should be comfortable around the tummy so it doesn't dig in when your baby bends, stretches or sits. You can do the poppers up before putting the nappy on the bum however, I prefer to do it last as that way I can adjust if she grows and personally find it easier for fitting the nappy. I then just check that the nappy is right into the knicker line and tuck anything that's popping out in.

You will see that overall I was impressed with Tots Bots, however I do feel they need to make some improvements. If the bamboo cotton blend could be replaced with a much softer fabric it would be much more comfortable for little bums. When the nappy arrives its wonderfully soft but after washing it goes really rough which is a shame really. Also for me the velcro didn't work so well and I would like to see different options of fastenings when ordering, however I know of many mums who prefer the velcro fastening, so its just down to personal preference really. My favorite thing about Tots Bots is their beautiful nursery rhyme prints. These are fabulous designs and a must have for anyone's collections.

For more information about Tots Bots and to look at the other designs they offer, please visit http://www.totsbots.com/.

You recently may have read about Boomerang being at risk of closure. They had a few weeks to turn it all around otherwise the doors of Boomerang would have closed for good.

Thankfully Trewan Sands Children's Trust, tsctrust, came to the rescue and gave the centre the money needed to stay open.

So for those of you who don't know about Boomerang, I am going to tell you all about it in this blog and share Charlotte's and my experiences of visiting the centre and what we love about it. Specifically the wonderful Pea Pods sessions.

Charlotte and I have been visiting Boomerang Multi-Sensory Play Centre for a while now and we absolutely love it. It's a warm welcoming place that's safe for my beautiful daughter to play.The centre has three interactive rooms, a Cafe with seating, changing facilities and classroom where they regularly run sessions, children's tea parties and bookable birthday parties.

We are not local to the centre but after all the wonderful things we had heard about it, we decided it was definitely worth a visit. We were not disappointed, it is worth every penny and is surprisingly cheap and the price you pay allows you to stay at the centre all day, if you wanted. For information about opening time and prices, please follow this link.Boomerang is a registered charity and relies solely on its visitors and donations to keep it running. Each room has all sorts of exciting attractions and has been adapted to make it accessible for as many children as possible. It is on one level, making it easy for people with mobility difficulties to get about and all rooms have a hoist to assist all in the access and enjoyment of the centre.

We have just started to slide her down the slide and she loves it. Her little face lights up and she gets so excited. The problem is she hasn't figured out that she has to go up the steps to get to the slide and once she has come down it, she wants to climb back up it and throws a little tantrum when you try and show her the difference. (Naughty Charlotte).

Each area is on different little levels, allowing her to climb up and enjoy them. The hoist does make this accessible for all children. This area has been perfectly designed for an immobile child who can lie on the sensory bed and enjoy the light changing projections around the room and see and feel the curtain next to them. The hoist can take them from the bed throughout the room.

According to the Boomerang website "The sensory room at Boomerang is an area to relax, it’s a calming and non-threatening environment with many features. It contains a sensory bed, large bubble tube, colour-changing ball pool, infinity panel, fibre optic curtain and projector lighting.

The projector lighting changes when noises are detected meaning that children of all abilities can interact with them. This room is ideal for children who don’t enjoy being in the sometimes noisier soft play areas. Fibre optic tubes come out of the floor as well as being fitted into a curtain."

The soft play room is a newly discovered room for Charlotte. When she was younger she couldn't really get much from it. She would crawl through the ball pit and the infinity hut but I think she was slightly overwhelmed by it all and would always return to the safety of her sensory room.Now however, since being able to walk, its a new adventure for her. She has recently found the soft padded stairs which she can attempt safely. I know even if she falls down them she isn't going to hurt herself because the room is like a big padded pillow, but it doesn't stop me from walking behind her (over protective mum alert).

Charlotte loves the Sensory room, I think its her favourite room at Boomerang and she has the freedom to run wild. I love how each time we visit she seems to become more advance than the last and she is learns so much through her play.

Charlotte loves being thrown into the ball pit, where she can sink into the balls, watching the lights change colour and of course eating the balls is her favourite activity as they seem to be simply delicious. She also loves what we call 'spaghetti lights', climbing up to the bubble tube and admiring herself in the mirror. The room also features the light box, a light up blower and a sensory bed with afibre optic curtain which Charlotte loves to explore. Its funny watching her run to the blower to set it off each time it stops, she is amazed by it.

According to the Boomerang website "The soft play area helps to develop skills including; cause and effect, colour & number recognition and gross motor skills with a selection of slides, swings, ball pool, musical instruments, trampoline, tunnels and infinity hut. Every surface is soft padded making it safe for children of all abilities. The area has two ‘wavy’ slides side by side and a further spiral slide. The lower level features a shallow ball pool, large soft play shapes, lots of hiding places and musical instruments. A hoist allows children with limited mobility to access the soft play area. The upper level has tactile areas, a see-through tunnel and gives children access to the three slides."

Again she loves the freedom of being able to roam the room and find all the delights it offers. Its amazing watching her smile and explore the space and know that she's learning so much (Sorry for all the terrible pictures of me).

According to the Boomerang website "Our state-of-the-art interactive learning environment encourages the use of the senses as well as fine and gross motor skills. Ceiling-mounted projectors create a unique affect allowing children to interact with various games on the floor. these include playing a piano, rustling leaves, kicking a football, attracting frogs, disco dancing and catching fish. The games and interactive experiences change every few minutes to keep children interested. This also ensures there’s something that children of all abilities can enjoy."

Charlotte really enjoys the interactive room, if she's not watching the interactive play mat she's playing with the sensory walls. For some reason she is obsessed with the bells on one of the sections.

The sessions are run on a Monday & Friday for 3 weeks. They also run taster sessions that cost £5 for a one off session. Both are worth every penny and Charlotte and I spend our week looking forward to them and the exciting things we are going to do. Prices include a play in the centre before or after for as long as you like, which I think is amazing value.

Sarah, a member of the Boomerang team, runs the sessions. She is wonderful and an asset to the centre. She is friendly, warm, welcoming and is amazing with the children. She gets to know them personally and treasures their little personalities for who and what they are. It may sound cheesy but being part of Pea Pod makes you feel part of the Boomerang family and Sarah does everything she can to make you feel part of that. Charlotte loves seeing Sarah and walks around like she's at home. Sarah adapts the sessions for each of the children and considers them when planning the activities. I cannot sing her praises enough and when you meet her you'll know what I mean.

Our favourite part of Pea Pods is getting messy and stuck in. Sarah always warns us the week before this will happen, so you have chance to prepare and bring something you don't mind them getting dirty in. I always say if Charlotte's messy, she's had a great day. That's what children do make mess and get messy and I must say she has a ball doing it. Its always fun when Charlotte is covered in paint or some sort of mess and then wants a cuddle. So be warned - any mums considering Pea Pods need to wear a comfortable outfit that they don't care about getting dirty, if you have a child like mine that is.

Charlotte has developed so much since starting Pea Pods. We don't generally have very many visitors and so Charlotte really struggles to adapt a large group of people but now you can see how comfortable she is and how she wants to get involved and play with the other children. Its even given us ideas for things to do at home and we have been painting, playing with rice, pasta and play dough just like we do at Pea Pods.

We usually attend our session at 11 and have an hours play afterwards which is perfect timing for dinner and then go home for a nap.

As well as Pea Pod sessions, Boomerang regularly runs children's tea parties featuring Frozen, Peppa Pig, Princesses and Pirates. This is great fun and aswell as having a play in the centre, children get to meet the character, take pictures with them and play party games. Then after they get a lovely party food meal and drinks before they go home. The children love it, I took Charlotte to one when she was around 7 months and she was a little to young but still had a great time.

Boomerang also has a lovely little cafe that offers a variety or meals and caters for children of all ages. Prices are very reasonable and its a perfect stop before or after play. Having the use of this cafe enables you to stay for the day, play, eat and play, keeping children and parents happy.

Boomerang is an amazing centre that's well worth a visit. As you can see from this blog post there is so much to enjoy and you can spend as much or as little time there as you like. Its a great day out and your children will come home happy and exhausted.

Some time ago, I came across a facebook page called Rainbow Tots & Togs. Clicking on it, I was amazed at all the beautiful products available. They specialise in handmade products for children. To quote their page "you will find fun, brightly coloured baby muslin squares, giant muslins, Tag-Tags, bibs and clothing for you little ones. Tie dyed items are original and unique, and all items can be personalised."

I just loved the options available including fabrics and personalisation possibilities. I especially fell in love with their beautifully personalised bibs and had to get one for Charlotte's first Christmas. Placing my order was really easy and I was able to pay through paypal which made it much easier. It was made up really quickly and pictures were posted to give me a sneak peak and let me know it was on its way.

Beautiful Christmas order with a sneak peak of Charlotte's Bib at the top. These are all items ordered by other people at the time and the sneak peak was shared as a group.

I was even sent a private message, with a a bigger picture so I could get a closer look. With Charlotte being so dainty, I asked them to put an extra popper on the bib, which was done without a problem.

I loved it so much I ordered another one, in another fabric I liked and she was even able to make it smaller to fit her better. Rainbow Tots and Togs offer outstanding service and amazing value for money. Products are completely customisable to what you want. They are perfect for that special gift, special event or just day to day. I was also really impressed with the quality.

To see more products available visit www.rainbowtotsandtogs.co.uk or to place an order visit www.rainbowtot.co.uk.

Apologies to my readers for the silence in recent weeks, I have had issues with my laptop preventing me from access my blog. Also had a very poorly baby and mummy. I had a bit of spare time this evening and access to a borrowed laptop, so wanted to fulfil my promise and submit this review.

I have been using Baba&boo for some time now and love their nappies. My daughter is now rash free, comfortable, dry and doesn't leak, which is what you want from any nappy.

Cloth was never my thing to be honest, I was using Pampers disposal nappies and was quite content until Charlotte kept breaking out in an awful rash. It was red raw and looked like she has been slapped. Any time her nappy was off she would claw at it until her bum bled. I tried every nappy cream I could, finding nothing that worked. We even went to the doctors and tried all sorts of prescribed medication but still nothing worked. That's when someone suggested we try cloth.

At this point we thought it couldn't hurt, although I wasn't really sold on the idea of dealing with any poo. I liked disposables as I could just throw the nappy in the bin but I thought we had to give it a go and if it didn't work, we could always go back to disposables.

So I got in touch with my local lending library, Green Bum Babies, who were brilliant. She gave me all the information I needed, she was easy to talk to and organised a kit to meet my needs. All I needed to do was fill in a questionnaire and she did the rest. I told her I was interested in trying Baba&boo as I had heard good things and she made sure some were available for me to try.

A few weeks later, as arranged, she brought the kit around demonstrated how everything worked and told me what I needed to do. She included a variety of nappy types for me to try and left us to it, leaving her contact information if we needed anything or had any questions. From the moment we tried Baba&boo we were in love. The nappies fitted Charlotte beautifully and were so easy to use. All you had to do was fill the pocket with the appropriate inserts and adjust to the babies shape. Within a matter of days Charlotte's bum was clear and it was obvious she had an allergy to disposables.

After two weeks of use, I contacted the library again and asked could we switch some of our nappies to have a larger Baba&boo stash. This wasn't a problem for the library and a few days later she brought me a huge stack of Baba&boo and took some of the nappies we didn't like. Around the same time the lovely people at Baba&boo sent me a Little Miss Rabbit nappy to start my collection and write this review. They also sent me one of their Charcoal Boosters to try. We were sold on cloth, never again to become a disposable nappy family.

Baba+Boo Little Miss Rabbit Nappy

﻿﻿﻿﻿After two months of lending, we took the plunge and purchased our very own Baba&boo collection. We went for their larger 20 nappy bundle to make sure we had plenty of nappies and it was easier on me for washing them. I was able to choose from their wonderful colour and prints and was totally in my element :). The kit included everything we needed to get us started including:

A nappy bucket

2 medium nappy bags

2 mesh bags

Nappy liners

Choice of 20 nappies

40 microfibre inserts

A handy guide to cloth nappies

After a few days the kit was delivered, Baba&boos communication was brilliant. I received an email to confirm my order and then another to let me know it was on its way.

When the kit arrived, it was brilliantly package and included an itemised list of what I ordered. I did notice one of my nappies was missing and I of course contacted the customer service. They responded very quickly, apologised and within a few days I had my missing nappy. Couldn't ask for a better service. ﻿﻿﻿﻿

Baba+Boo Reusable Nappy Starter Kit - 20 Pack

The great thing about using the library was that it allowed me to wash my new nappies a few times and get them ready and still be able to use cloth. When we were up and running with our own nappies, I contacted the library and arranged for them to go back. This was easily arranged with no fuss and the kit was collected a few days later. After using the kit for a few months, I am still sold on Baba&boo. Their nappies just grow with our daughter and still work as well as the day we received them. Since using them I would recommend them to anyone and plan to use them with any future children we have. The quality of the material used to lovely and you can tell it will last. It look comfortable and works well no matter what you need to fill the pocket with making it work for any family.I have also tried their Charcoal buster, after using it a few times I don't find any improvements to the absorbency. I feel that the microfibre supplied with the nappy works extremely well and cannot say I notice any difference when Charcoal is used.With my daughters nappies, I personally find that a Baba&boo microfibre and another brands thick bamboo works very well and Charlotte stays very dry. If you would like to know more about Baba&boo visit their website at http://www.babaandboo.com or email them at hello@babaandboo.com. Alternatively post a comment or use my contact page and I will be happy to help x